The 10 Best Yoga Retreats in Costa Rica

From the rainforest to the reef, you can achieve bliss through these transformational yoga retreats in Costa Rica

Known for its stunning biodiversity and natural beauty, Costa Rica is the most popular tourist destination in Central America. More than 25 percent of the country’s land is protected, so visitors can explore the beautiful rainforests, visit pristine beaches for surfing and diving, trek volcanoes, or simply relax and enjoy escaping to an undisturbed environment.

Over the past decade, more and more travelers have been flocking to the area in search of a rejuvenating yoga retreat in Costa Rica. After all, what’s better than finding Zen in the depths of a rainforest or at the base of a volcano?

Discover 10 of the best yoga retreats in Costa Rica, perfect for everyone from beginners to full-fledged yogis.

Samasati Yoga & Wellness Retreat

Nestled on a mountaintop in Hone Creek, 20 minutes outside of Puerto Viejo, those taking part in a Samasati yoga retreat can choose from 4 different packages:

• Relax & Rejuvenate provides guests with yoga sessions, massages, and guided hikes through the surrounding rainforest. In their free time, guests can take a free shuttle to Playa Negra Beach or head into town.
• Yoga & Surf boasts the same perks as the Relax & Rejuvenate package with the addition of surf lessons for those hoping to hang ten.
• Customized Private Retreats allow guests to craft their schedule, choose different types of yoga practices to concentrate on, and receive more one-on-one attention.
• Caribbean Lovers Package allows you and your partner to practice yoga together between romantic dinners, snorkeling adventures, and trips to Puerto Viejo for dancing and drinks. 

Anamaya Yoga Retreat

If luxury yoga retreats are your thing, look no further than Anamaya in Montezuma. A rotating list of instructors oversees 10 yoga classes during the 7-day retreat, incorporating Yin Yoga, Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, and more. 6 package options allow guests to add Costa Rican experiences onto their retreat:

• Yoga & Adventure includes ziplining, a surf lesson, and a group beach trip.
• Yoga & Surfing includes 5 beginner surf lessons and surfboard rental.
• Pure Yoga is the most inexpensive choice and provides 10 yoga lessons for the price of 8.
•  Yoga & Rejuvenation includes 2 60-minute massages and a beach trip.
• Couples Package includes a 60-minute couples massage and a trip to the beach.
• Yoga & Scuba Certification allows guests to earn a scuba certification through the CMAS International Diver Training Certification System while on the retreat.

El-Sabanero Eco Lodge

A 5- or 6-day yoga retreat in Guanacaste at the El-Sabanero Eco Lodge includes 2 yoga classes and 3 vegetarian meals per day, along with hiking, meditation, and chakra-balancing instruction. Depending on the package, you will participate in Hatha, Ashtanga, restorative, and Vinyasa yoga. Package options include:

• 6-Day Revitalize and Rejuvenate is an option that is especially popular among solo female travelers and includes accommodations for 5-nights and transport to and from the airport. A 5-day/4-night option is also available.
• 6-Day Yoga and Beach Fun Holiday adds stand up paddleboard (SUP) lessons. And, if you’re quick to get the hang of it, you can take your new skills to the next level and learn SUP yoga from an on-staff pro.

Luna Lodge

Unforgettable spirit yoga retreats are happening in a rustic setting in the Osa Peninsula that abuts Corcovado National Park, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Instructors hold 3- to 10-day retreats and teach a variety of classes, from Vinyasa to Jivamukti and more. In addition to yoga, guests can enjoy:

• Corcovado National Park Tour explores the rainforest and shores of the Madrigal River to learn of local plants and animals.
• Lagoon Kayaking takes guests paddling through the nearby lagoon to see monkeys, crocodiles, and a wide range of fish and birds.
• Bird Watching Tours occur in the early morning and again at sunset, allowing visitors to catch a glimpse of some of the most colorful inhabitants of the rainforest.
• Forest Bathing allows participants to reconnect with nature on guided hikes while genuinely experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells of the unblemished rainforest.

Blue Osa Yoga Retreat and Spa

Down on the shores of the Osa Peninsula is another of the best yoga retreats in Costa Rica. Blue Osa’s all-inclusive packages are available to solo travelers and couples looking to practice everything from Kundalini Yoga Sadhana to aerial yoga. Minimum stay is 4 days, and available packages (all of which include 3 daily farm-to-table meals and domestic airfare) are:

• The Best of Costa Rica Package features daily yoga, 2 eco-tours, private rooms, and 1 60-minute spa treatment.
• The Total Body & Mind Detox Package offers 2 daily organic vegetable juices, 2 daily yoga classes, daily meditation and breathwork sessions, 1 half-day trip, and 1 spa treatment.
• Private Yoga Retreat Package features individual customized yoga classes and private rooms.
• Spa Package includes private rooms, daily yoga, and a daily 60-minute spa treatment.

Pranamar Villas and Yoga Retreat

The Balinese-inspired Pranamar Villas are right on the Pacific Coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, where guests can benefit from time spent with yogis specializing in Hatha and Flow yoga, the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition, Thai yoga massage, and more. This yoga retreat in Cobano offers easy access to:

• Playa Santa Teresa has a year-round swell that attracts surfers from around the world and allows guests to add some world-class surfing to their yoga weekend.
• Playa Hermosa is just to the north of the resort, featuring calmer waters for swimming and vast expanses of sand for beach runners.

The Retreat

Located in the Alajuela Province’s Central Valley, The Retreat is the brainchild of celebrity chef and wellness expert Diana Stobo. Available all-inclusive retreat vacations that feature twice daily yoga and daily hikes include:

• Ayurveda Balancing features a menu customized to your dosha, 5 Ayurvedic therapies, 1 facial, 5 mineral therapies, and 5 infrared sauna therapies.
• Fitness Reboot and Fat Burning is an 8-day retreat with a menu optimized for fat burning, 6 private sessions with a personal trainer, 5 BEMER therapies, 3 massages, and 3 sauna sessions.
• Immersive Wellness Program features 1 spa treatment and 3 cooking classes.
• Luxury Spa Healing and Beautifying is another 8-day retreat that features 2 food prep classes, 3 sauna treatments, 2 facials, 3 massages, and 2 healing and balancing treatments.
• Signature Detox is a 7- to 10-day that includes guidebooks, workbooks, and recipe books, as well as 4 detox treatments, 5 sauna therapies, and 4 massages.

Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort

As one of the most well-known luxury yoga retreats in Costa Rica, Nosara’s Bodhi Tree offers a series of retreats led by a rotating staff of international yogis. Its jungle location means you will be doing your yoga and drinking green smoothies to the sounds of birds and howler monkeys. Additional perks include:

• An optional all-inclusive meal plan that contributes to your commitment to wellness by offering tasty organic meals and a juice bar.
• Surf lessons from onsite instructors.
• Fitness center access includes the use of state-of-the-art equipment and personal trainers.
• Optional fitness classes include barre, Pilates, samba, and more.

Essence Arenal

Looking to save some money and find the best cheap yoga retreats in Costa Rica? Then Essence Arenal is the place for you. The organic farm & spa’s location on Lake Arenal, Castillo, is hard to beat, especially when doing Hatha Flow with views of the volcano. Retreat options are:

• 10-day Retreats include the Holistic Awareness Yoga Retreat and the Yoga, Detox, and Neuropathic Body Balance Retreat, both of which feature daily yoga, a sweat lodge experience, and a mud wrap session.
• A 14-day Retreat offers yoga teacher training in Costa Rica with Yin yoga sessions, Vinyasa or Hatha sessions, and 2 trips to the hot springs.
• All-inclusive options offer the Lezaeta Thermal Hydrotherapy and Detox Retreat, the Rainforest Yoga Retreat, the Mind and Body Retreat, and the Relax and Breathe Retreat. 

The Goddess Garden

Spirit yoga retreats are the specialty at Goddess Garden in Cahuita. At this high-end eco-resort, guests can choose to join one of the scheduled retreat events, ranging from advanced yoga teacher training to music and healing retreats, or they can plan out a custom personal retreat. Classes for personal retreats include:

• Yoga classes and individual instruction are available for restorative yoga, Vinyasa Flows, Kundalini, and Iyengar. Group classes are 60 or 90 minutes, while individual classes are 75 minutes.
• Guided Meditation and Yoga Nidra classes are 30 to 40 minutes and guide participants into a state of deep relaxation to access delta, theta, alpha, and gamma brainwaves.
• Breathing Class is 40 to 50 minutes, using the Full-Wave, Wim Hoff, and Joy Breath methods to achieve mental clarity and inner peace.

Experience the Pura Vida

With so many top-notch options, you’re bound to find the yoga retreat in Costa Rica that’s right for you, no matter what level of experience you have. So, get your Central American adventure underway by checking out these incredible deals offered on hotel packages and flights to Costa Rica. You’ll be living the Pura Vida before you know it.

Header Image Via Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko / Shutterstock